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As we speak’s prime tales
President Trump is capping off his first week in workplace with a visit to Asheville, N.C., immediately after which Los Angeles. Each communities had been ravaged by disasters and are grappling with restoration efforts. Asheville was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September, throughout the center of the presidential marketing campaign. At the moment, Trump posted on-line that the Biden administration wasn’t doing sufficient to assist.

President Trump indicators govt orders within the Oval Workplace on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos
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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos
- 🎧 The Los Angeles wildfires, which began over two weeks in the past, are set to be one of the most expensive natural disasters within the U.S. in a very long time. At the moment, FEMA has sufficient cash, however there will probably be plenty of federal help wanted as town recovers, NPR’s Deepa Shivaram tells Up First. Trump sees it as a possibility to construct assist in Congress for a few of his legislative priorities. He’s asking California to change its water policies if it desires to obtain any cash.
The Trump administration has nixed diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the federal authorities. The president calls the packages, which had been a part of the Civil Rights Motion relationship again many years, “harmful, demeaning or immoral.” He is additionally concentrating on efforts to research extremism within the navy ranks.
- 🎧 The DEI packages have been seen as efficient in bringing extra girls and minorities into the ranks in any respect ranges, NPR’s Tom Bowman says. Trump and his protection secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, have dismissed the packages as woke and divisive. As Trump goals to finish investigations into navy extremism, Pentagon officers now have insisted they don’t have a problem and that the numbers are small. Nevertheless, the Pentagon cannot actually learn about extremism ranges as a result of it would not accumulate information on it, based on Bowman. He provides that you will need to be aware that about one in 5 of the individuals arrested for Jan. 6 actions had navy backgrounds.
- ➡️ A 71-year-old girl who acquired considered one of Trump’s 1,500 pardons issued this week to Jan. 6 defendants turned down the provide. Here’s why.
- ➡️ As many U.S.-based companies retreat from DEI initiatives, Costco’s shareholders have rejected an anti-DEI proposal.
The U.S. is attempting to unravel a world hacking marketing campaign that focused distinguished local weather activists within the U.S. a number of years in the past. The Justice Division is attempting to extradite an Israeli non-public investigator named Amit Forlit from the UK for allegedly orchestrating the operation on behalf of an unnamed public affairs agency based mostly in Washington, D.C.
- 🎧 The agency Forlit was allegedly working for was allegedly representing one of many world’s greatest oil and fuel firms based mostly in Texas, NPR’s Michael Copley says. Forlit’s lawyer claimed in a court filing that the operation he’s accused of main “is alleged to have been commissioned by DCI Group, a lobbying agency representing ExxonMobil, one of many world’s largest fossil gas firms.” The Justice Division hasn’t accused Exxon or DCI of any wrongdoing. Each have knowledgeable NPR they haven’t been involved in hacking.
From our hosts

An aerial view of properties which burned within the Eaton Fireplace on Jan. 19, 2025 in Altadena, California.
Mario Tama/Getty Photos
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Mario Tama/Getty Photos
This essay is written by A Martinez, Up First and Morning Version host.
The wildfires in Los Angeles are nonetheless burning with strong winds expected this week, which might decelerate the already wonderful work firefighters have executed to attempt to comprise them. Some individuals in evacuation areas have been allowed to return to their properties whereas many don’t have anything to return to.
It is received me serious about rebuilding. When will it begin? How will or not it’s executed? Who will offer assistance?
I do not know the solutions to these three questions however I do know that none of it may well occur with out cooperation. From neighbor serving to neighbor to metropolis, county, state and federal authorities working collectively on the following steps.
The one factor I hope is that assigning blame on what ought to have been executed in a different way or higher will not get in the way in which of constructing restoration doable.
This week, considered one of Trump’s first journeys of his second time period will probably be to Los Angeles to survey the injury. He’ll be coming to a state that sued him over 100 occasions throughout his first time period and whose governor, Gavin Newsom, referred to as a particular legislative session final November to arrange for brand new potential lawsuits.
The individuals who have misplaced the whole lot in all probability aren’t serious about pink versus blue politics proper now. Hopefully, on the subject of determining these subsequent steps, Trump and Newsom will not be both.
Weekend picks

Keke Palmer and SZA in Tri-Star Images ONE OF THEM DAYS (Picture by Anne Marie Fox)
Anne Marie Fox/Anne Marie Fox
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Anne Marie Fox/Anne Marie Fox
Take a look at what NPR is watching, studying and listening to this weekend:
🍿 Motion pictures: One of Them Days is a comedy about two greatest pals, performed by Keke Palmer and SZA, who endure a wild collection of misadventures as they attempt to make hire over an eventful day.
📺 TV: Severance‘s second season is now streaming on Apple TV+, and it is much more gloriously bizarre and deftly assembled than the primary one.
📚 Books: There’s nonetheless time to compensate for some perspective-shifting titles from 2024 earlier than throwing your self into this 12 months’s new reads. Check out these 12 books exploring the artwork world, life after demise, life as a nun and extra.
🎵 Music: Tina Turner’s misplaced track “Scorching For You Child” was re-introduced to the world yesterday morning. Check it out here.
❓ Quiz: Nicely… I did not do badly, however I might have executed higher. Please take a while to redeem me with your score.
3 issues to know earlier than you go

Boone Hogg (left) and Logan Jugler, who run the account @officialstickreviews, exhibit their sticks.
Jackson Hoget
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Jackson Hoget
- Have you ever ever discovered a cool stick and needed to point out it off? If that’s the case, “Stick Nation,” a worldwide motion that thrives on healthful descriptions of sticks and the individuals who rank them, is probably right up your alley. The web group has thousands and thousands of individuals to this point.
- Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic retired injured from his Australian Open semifinal. He was aiming for an all-time standalone record of 25 main titles.
- New figures present faculty enrollment within the U.S. rose 4.5% throughout undergrad and graduate packages for the first time last fall to surpass pre-pandemic ranges.
This text was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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